339.14
County hospital commission.

(A)
Upon
application to the board of county commissioners by an Ohio corporation or
corporations, organized for charitable hospital purposes and not for profit, in
this section called participating hospital corporations, the board of county
commissioners may, after a determination that the preservation of the public
health requires additional hospital facilities in the county, appoint a
hospital commission of not less than three members, in this section called the
county hospital commission. Not less than three members of such commission
shall be appointed to represent the public, and there shall be appointed to the
commission one additional member for each participating hospital corporation,
and there may be appointed to the commission one additional member for each
nonparticipating charitable hospital corporation in the county and one or more
members for any joint township hospital district participating under an
agreement pursuant to section
513.081 of the Revised Code. All
members representing the county and hospital corporations shall be electors of
the county. All members shall serve without compensation. Of the first three
public members appointed to the commission one shall be appointed for a term of
two years, one for a term of four years, and one for a term of six years.
Thereafter, such public members shall be appointed for a term of six years as
shall be any additional public members. Members representing participating and
nonparticipating hospital corporations shall be appointed for a term of six
years. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the board of county
commissioners for the unexpired term.

(B)
The county hospital commission after
consultation with participating hospital corporations and agreement as to their
respective needs and the needs of the public of the county for hospital service
may, with the consent of the board of county commissioners, accept conveyances
of real estate and interests in real estate, situated within the county, from
any person and may, on adoption of a resolution by the board of county
commissioners pursuant to section
339.091 of the Revised Code , enter
into an agreement before or after such conveyance with such person or with one
or more Ohio corporations organized for charitable hospital purposes or
nonprofit corporation organized to provide services to corporations organized
for charitable hospital purposes, to lease to such corporation or corporations
upon such terms as may be agreed upon such real estate together with
improvements thereof and buildings thereafter constructed thereon and
furniture, fixtures, and equipment therein for use as a general hospital or a
hospital facility, the lease shall be for a period not to exceed fifty years,
renewable for a like term and may contain provisions for the sale of such
property to the lessee upon the unanimous consent of the board of county
commissioners for a purchase price representing not less than the actual cost
to the county, less depreciation, computed at the rate customarily applied to
similar structures; or such general hospital or hospital facilities may be
leased pursuant to and upon terms as provided pursuant to section
140.05 of the Revised Code, or the
commission may enter into agreements with respect thereto as provided in
section 140.03 of the Revised Code,
notwithstanding other provisions of this section.

(C)
If the land conveyed under division (B)
of this section is adjacent to an existing hospital, the county hospital
commission may, at the time of the acceptance of the conveyance or the leasing
of the proposed hospital facilities, enter into an agreement with the owner of
such existing hospital for the use of common walls in the construction of the
county hospital, or hospital facilities or rights and interests may be acquired
as provided in division (F) of section
140.05 of the Revised Code.

(D)
The county hospital commission
may take all steps necessary for the acquisition or construction, equipment,
enlarging, rebuilding, or other improvement, of hospital facilities and may
request the board of county commissioners to submit to the electors of the
county, in the manner provided in Chapter 133. of the Revised Code, a bond
issue to cover the costs of hospital facilities, as defined in section
140.01 of the Revised Code.

(E)
If a bond issue provided for
above is approved by the vote of a majority of the electors voting on the
issue, the board of elections for such county shall certify the results of such
election as provided in section
133.18 of the Revised Code, and the
board of county commissioners shall proceed with the authorization and issuance
of the bonds or notes in anticipation thereof, in the manner provided in
Chapter 133. of the Revised Code for the issuance of bonds and notes by boards
of county commissioners.

(F)
The
county hospital commission shall take title in the name of the county to any
land conveyed pursuant to this section, and shall have final approval of all
plans and specifications for the erection and equipping of the hospital
facilities contemplated in this section. The commission may employ architects
and such other assistants as may be required in the construction, including
supervision, and pay the expenses thereof out of the funds provided for such
hospital facilities.

(G)
All funds
arising from a bond issue pursuant to this section shall be placed in the
county treasury to the credit of a fund to be known as the "county hospital
facility fund." Such fund shall be paid out on the order of the county hospital
commission, certified by the chairperson or vice-chairperson and secretary or
assistant secretary of the commission.

(H)
Before making a contract for the
expenditure of money on any structure in excess of one thousand dollars, the
county hospital commission shall advertise for bids in accordance with section
307.87 of the Revised Code and
shall cause plans, specifications, and detailed drawings to be distributed
among the bidders.

(I)
The county
hospital commission has continuing jurisdiction of the hospital facilities
constructed under this section provided that the lessee corporation shall be
solely responsible for the administration, maintenance, and operation of the
leased facilities including the selection of personnel. In the event the lessee
corporation fails to administer, maintain, and operate the leased hospital
facilities as a public general hospital or hospital facility, in accordance
with the terms of the agreement, admitting patients without regard to race,
creed, or color, then, after an opportunity is given by the county hospital
commission to be heard on written charges, the lease shall be terminated by the
county hospital commission, with the consent of the board of county
commissioners, and the control and management of the hospital facilities
together with all additions and equipment shall revert to the county to be
operated as provided by law.

(J)
The hospital facilities, including furniture, fixtures, and equipment therein,
constructed under this section are exempt from taxation.

(K)
Upon request of the county hospital
commission, the board of county commissioners may issue unvoted bonds or notes
in anticipation thereof in the manner provided in Chapter 133. of the Revised
Code to pay costs of hospital facilities as defined in section
140.01 of the Revised Code. The
bonds and notes authorized by this division shall be issuable only after there
has been entered into a lease, pursuant to this section or section
140.05 of the Revised Code, of the
hospital facilities to be financed thereby providing for rental payments which,
together with rentals payable under any prior lease available therefor, shall
be at least sufficient, as to amounts and times of payment, to provide funds
necessary to cover interest charges on all bonds authorized under this division
and to provide a sufficient amount for retirement or sinking fund to retire
such bonds as they become due. Such bonds and notes shall not be considered in
ascertaining the limitations on net indebtedness of section
133.07 of the Revised Code. No
amendment of such lease shall have the effect of reducing the rental payments
below the amount required to meet such interest and bond retirement
requirements.